


When Things Go Horribly Awry: Kim Burgess & Jay Halstead

by LibertyKingdom



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 05:12:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16234859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibertyKingdom/pseuds/LibertyKingdom
Summary: Drabble for EvcryopeneyeWhere Jay dies in Burgess's arms





	When Things Go Horribly Awry: Kim Burgess & Jay Halstead

“Jay?” Burgess calls out, the chord of her tone wavering under the considerable escalation of fear. Halstead didn’t make a habit of absenteeism nor showing up late for shifts. Furthermore, he rarely left his door open without answering a friendly voice. After waiting a few seconds with no reply, Burgess shakily draws her gun into her hands. 

This isn’t right! Something is horrendously awry! Kim can feel it in the depths of her bones.  
A nervous lump forms in her throat as she nudges the door open with her uniform shoe. Once more his name leaves her tongue. “Jay?” She cautiously edges around the corner not really knowing what to expect. “I don’t mean to intrude but you’re late to work… and Voight…” The rest of the statement doesn’t escape her. 

Eyes of maple widen significantly when she notices a human form sprawled across the floor. Burgess can deduct that it was her partner by the size and color of his shoes. Her heart immediately seizes, becoming strangled between the ribs that were purposed to protect it. The thunder of its stifled beats barely leaves room any clarity of thought. All thoughts are fleeting save for one. She grabs her radio and makes a call for help. 

She then wastes no time in racing to his side. There is so much blood spilling from his chest, where there is a sizable knife wound. “Jay!” This time his name is expressed with great terror. Fingers fumble against the curve of his neck for a pulse. Beneath his cold and clammy skin, there is a slow and weak thrum of life providing a minuscule glimmer of hope. “Stay with me, stay with me!” Kim repeats. 

Slinking to the floor she gingerly pulls his battered figure into her arms so that she can more easily access the wound. Heavily trembling fingers move to stay the heavy flood of scarlet as best as they can. “Please don’t die. Please don’t die. I should have come sooner. I should have done… a million things…. different..” Burgess breathes just barely managing to choke back a sob. 

“It’s going to be alright. You’re going to be alright, Jay! You’ve lived through worse than this…” The words slip from between her lips before she can stop them. Somehow internally, Kim knows that she is lying. That things aren’t going to be okay. That Jay losing so much blood would be a definite death sentence. Guilt stains into upper crests of her cheekbones and regret perches itself like the proverbial raven upon her shoulders. Liquid pearls form in the corners of her concerned maple hues.

Prying away one hand she grabs her radio. “WHERE THE HELL IS THAT AMBULANCE?!!! My partner needs an ambulance NOW!!” Kim doesn’t mean to shout but she is petrified. Why wasn’t expediency a thing in real emergencies? Or did the adrenaline rush always make time slip like thick molasses? Time is running short and unlike a Youtube video, there is no pause button to make it stand still. Jay’s life rests in her hands and there was nothing more she could physically do at the moment to be his hero- as he had been for her. Her hand returns to addressing the gaping wound.

“Jay! Don’t do this! Don’t leave me. Please… for the love of God, don’t leave me!” Burgess desperately implores. The slow movements of his chest rising and falling cease causing him to grow terrifyingly motionless. Despite Kim’s protests and efforts to revive him, Halstead’s life vanishes from beneath her touch. She had failed him. He is never coming back. “No!” Burgess screams, pulling Jay’s cold and limp figure closer to her chest. Sobs heavily wrack through her chest as if, it were prone to violent earthquakes.

Wake up! Wake up and realize this is just a nightmare, she urges herself. But there would be no pleasant awakening from reality. Crippling grief ripples through every vein in her body. The full brunt of the situation finally seeps through the fog of an endless series of denials. 

Kim knows she needs to change the call for an ambulance to a call for the coroner. Yet, she can’t bring herself to do it. To say the words “he is gone” over the radio. Much to her relief, the washed out sounds of sirens eventually intrude upon her subconscious, rupturing the discomforting silence. The sound swelling louder and louder until it finally reaches a piercing crescendo.

Still stunned, Kim begrudgingly delivers Halstead over to the welcoming hands of Chicago’s finest paramedics. The words, “you did all you could for him” feel like a slap in the face even if they were true. She’d never forgive herself for not arriving sooner. For not sensing the trouble until it was too late. Her mother was right, she should have stuck with being a flight attendant. Flight attendants rarely came home covered in their partner’s blood. 

“Can…” Her voice cuts off, choked with emotion. “Can I… at least… ride with him… one last time?” It is a stupid request. Yet, Burgess can’t quite bring herself to let go of Jay just yet. Getting the okay, Kim grabs his hand one final time as she locks step with the gurney.

Oh God… how was she going to tell Will? How was she going to tell the rest of the unit? A trillion more unpleasant thoughts follow in the wake of her footsteps as she leaves the scene of the crime.


End file.
